Monthly roundup: September 2018

This September we’ve been busy tablet lending, network building, community engaging, grant giving, difference making and movement building!

Engagement

We’ve been getting out and about this month, talking about digital inclusion to all sorts of potential partners. We’ve reached out at community organisations like Forum Central and Leeds Migration Partnership, public engagement events like the Refugees and Migrants Volunteer Fair, Housing Advisory Panels, Business Start-up Day and corporate partner events like O2’s Blue Door Conference.

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Tablet Lending

Tablet lending has really taken off this month, now we’ve started to get the word out. So much so that we’ve had to start a waiting list. Recent loans include Broadlea Tenants and Residents Association, Retirement LIFE, BARCA’s Better Together project, Armley Helping Hands, Middleton Elderly Aid, Get Technology Together and Connect in the North.

The groups are supporting a wide spectrum of people at risk of digital exclusion including elderly residents, ESOL learners and adults with learning disabilities.

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Digital Champions

Digital Champions training is now well underway and we were pleased to offer Community Support Officers from Retirement LIFE our first face-to-face training opportunity. We aspire to training all front-line staff and volunteers in Leeds to become Digital Champions so we’re really pleased that the training is also available via eLearning platform Learn My Way!

We’re excited that we will soon be able to present our Digital Champions with exclusive 100% Digital Leeds pin badges and certificates, too.

Online Centres Network

We’ve welcomed 8 new Online Centres to the network this month, all of which are based in our target wards, showing that we’re reaching the most in need first. New additions include Middleton Elderly Aid, LS14 Trust, Get Technology Together, South Seacroft Friends and Neighbours and Armley Helping Hands. We look forward to finding out how some of them will spend their Activation Grants.

Looking Forwards to October

Next month we’ll be focussing on continuing to spread the word, looking to engage as many new partners as possible. The highlight is sure to be the #FightTheDivide Launch events taking place in Gipton, Hawksworth Wood and Middleton. There are still spaces left:

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